Gold Runs Thicker Than Blood
by ArchetypeOfAnarchy
Summary: Just before "The Avengers" the Bifrost malfunctions leaving Loki bitter and battered in Ireland. Can a Midgardian girl come to his aid or will pride prevail?
1. The Calm Before The storm

Emmajane Pelham's lanky form lay restless. Since childhood the girl slept the same way, lying flat with hands crossed over her chest, leading to her sister calling her "The Corpse". A small rivet of blood trickled down her breast from where she had torn skin away from prominent collarbones whilst a nightmare played out in her mind. With a start she woke up. Panting and wide-eyed she noticed the blood and cursed herself. Whenever Emma felt threatened she would subconsciously claw at her neck leaving scrapes and grazes all along her otherwise nearly translucent skin. Lately this happened very often. Every day she would be subjected to verbal abuse from her boss Brian and every night she dreamt the same, dark dream. Her greasy, long blonde hair stuck to her skin with sweat and saline tears fell from her grey-blue eyes. She rose and went to the kitchen of the small cottage she was renting on the livery yard. She made a cup of tea and sat cross-legged on the couch. She dozed and closed her eyes only to once more live out the terrifying ordeal.

"Come to me darling" said the dark figure striding confidently toward her. "No harm will come to you if you are obedient" he chided. Whimpering Emmajane got to her feet and ran. This angered the man and suddenly he became a snake, ensnaring her small ankles with ease. Falling to the ground she gazed upon the grey sky and treetops, surrendering any last chance she had of living. "Hussssshhhhh..." the beast would coo and everything would be enveloped in exquisite pain.

The dawn light broke through the curtains of Emma's kitchen, ending the horrid dream. Groggily she pulled herself into an upright position and stretched. After a moment she stood up and her hip bones gave an audible click. She went upstairs and upon opening her wardrobe she pulled out a pair of jodhpurs and a black jumper. Once dressed, she pulled her hair into loose plait at the nape of her neck and wiped the crusted blood from her neck. Emma made her way out into the yard and savoured the soft smell of saddles, feed and horses. A rider's voice broke through the quiet. "Why hasn't Dolly's tack been cleaned?" "My apologies, I overslept" she replied in a clipped tone. "Honestly! Can't you manage your time! Anyhow I need you to take Magic and Rueben to the field asap," the woman spat and stormed away. "Your wish is my command." Emma replied sarcastically when she was out of earshot.

Secretly the girl was glad to take the two ponies out to the paddock. It was situated at the end of a long, spindly stretch of dirt track called "The Dead End" and the trip would take about an hour to complete, meaning she would miss a morning's work. Before any of that though, she would have to get her own pony ready for the journey. Chance was a sturdy grey Connemara with specks of chestnut through his coat that resembled the freckles that were strewn across her own nose and cheeks. She brushed all the dirt from his coat in deft but slow strokes, all the while singing a sea shanty in her high soprano voice. She always sang around horses and even if she didn't notice, it had a calming effect on them. Spotlessly clean she led her steed into the yard and mounted. She was relieved Brian was nowhere to be seen as she decided to ride bareback and let Chance in the field as well. When she was comfortable Jaime, the only other employee of the stables gave her the two ponies and she set off.


	2. Fits Like A Glove

Making her way out the gate and onto the road Emmajane settled into a quick trot while keeping hold of the two ponies. Her dog Cu joined the party letting out a yelp. Grey clouds lightly covered the sky and a light mist descended on the dark soil, a typical December day in Ireland. Soon she turned down onto the familiar track. It was St. Stephen's day so none of the usual dog walkers or joggers were out, it was just the four contented animals following their tatty leader. After a few minutes of quick riding she reached the end of the road and dismounted. Unclicking the pony's head-collars she watched as they galloped off into the field, snorting and flicking their tales. The two spoilt ponies bucked and reared proudly but her motley mount rolled on the long grass, covering his coat in mud.

She turned to begin her walk home and it was only then she realized that Cu wasn't following her any longer. She cursed under her breath and whistled. After many calls the terrier came to her. Reaching down to scold him she saw he had a glove in his mouth. Examining the rich black leather with gold embellishing she was curious. The glove wasn't dirty or torn. It was obvious that it hadn't been exposed to the weather for long and quite frankly it was the most exquisite thing Emmajane had ever seen. Sitting on a stone wall she took off her own riding glove and placed it on top of her new discovery. Emma had long slender fingers and her hands were not too tiny, but in comparison to the black gloves her hand appeared dwarfed.

Her curious nature made her want to find the owner of the garment. Apparently Cu was thinking the same as he pranced around her feet, eager for her to follow him to where he found the glove. Contrary to what her common sense was telling her she followed her little friend off the path and through dense scrub. Even though she had rode The Dead End a hundred times she had never ventured off the beaten track before. Weaving between the old trees that lined the countryside her stomach clenched in angst. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye a rustle in the bracken caught her attention. Venturing closer she pushed aside brambles and thistles to find a man strewn on the ground. She clamped her hand over her mouth to conceal a gasp and rushed to his side. She tried to feel for a pulse but to no avail. With very little choice left she lay her head on his chest, attempting to hear a heartbeat and was relieved to find one. "Hello?... Can you hear me?" she said softly as she patted his cheek, trying to evoke some response. The man was still unmoving but for the first time Emmajane noticed his appearance. He was tall. Even lying down she could tell he was far taller than her five feet ten inch stature. His black hair was almost shoulder length and his skin was the colour of ivory. He wore peculiar clothes that appeared to be a mild sort of armour. Then she noticed his hands. On one was the partner of the glove in her pocket, the other was bare and scratched. A pang of pity hit her and she brushed a lock of raven hair from his brow. He began to stir then and as his eyes fluttered open, Emma was taken aback. The strange man possessed the greenest eyes she had ever seen and it only took a second for them to meet her own steely, cobalt ones. "Hi. Are you okay?" she asked meekly. He stared at her for a time and gave no answer. Confused she tried asking in Irish. "Dia duit. Ar bhuil tu go maith?"

"I understood you the first time midgardian." He replied. "Sorry... how long have you been here?" she asked, relieved that her broken native tongue was not needed. "That, I cannot be assured of." The man answered, getting to his feet and pulling himself up to his full height. Now she was staring up at him feeling like a small child. He was undeniably very handsome. He held himself like royalty and his angular features were nothing short of aristocratic. "Well I don't feel it right to leave you here... will you come back to my house for tea?" she asked hardly believing she had just invited a perfect stranger to her house. "I suppose that will suffice. I believe I have not introduced myself. I am Loki" he said extending his hand "A pleasure to meet you Loki, I'm Emmajane but you can call me Emma" she stated placing her hand in his, expecting to shake it. However he brought it to his lips and kissed her painfully pale skin. "Oh my no! A name as pleasing to the tongue does not deserve for a single syllable to be omitted," he purred, making the young girl blush. "Now where are your lodging's?"

After a near silent walk back to the yard they turned in the gate. On the way back Cu had made his distaste for Loki apparent, and indeed it appeared the feeling was mutual. Cu had growled and snarled all the way and Emma was sure she had seen Loki give the little dog a kick of his boot when he thought she wasn't looking. Thankfully the yard was empty as everyone else had communed in the tack room for lunch. Opening the door to the cottage Cu burst in and made himself a nest on the couch. "Here we are," Emma said. Loki strode in and surveyed his surroundings. "Plain..." he sneered at the white walls and old tiled floor. "Well on a grooms salary this is practically a palace!" she mumbled. At this he snorted, as if it were a private joke. She brushed it off as just another strange layer to this odd man. "Tea?" she asked. "Why, yes. Strong...black." he answered coming back to his senses.


	3. The Good, The Bad and The Broken

**A/N: Hi, I promise I'll keep notes to a minimum! However, I would just like to say thank you so incredibly, immensely much to everyone who has used their own time to read my story. I hope for it to be the first of many. If anyone has any ideas or criticism don't be afraid to pm me or leave a review. Hope your having a good festive period! Lots of love, A.o.A xxx**

"No problem," she said whilst mentally figuring out how to get more information out of the reserved man, now sitting on the couch as far away from Cu as possible, without sounding nosy. After she placed the kitsch" Thellwell" mug down on the coffee table beside him she picked up her own and settled cross-legged on the couch between Cu and Loki. "So... a name like Loki certainly isn't Irish, I'll take it you aren't either?" she said, hoping not to insult her new guest.

Loki

Loki knew this would happen. Though he had done remarkably well to avoid interrogation up to this point, it was inevitable that the girl would grow curious of his background. How would he explain to a mere midgardian that the man sitting on the couch beside her and drinking the tea she had most kindly offered him was not, in fact a man? How would he tell her he was the god of mischief and lies, owner of the infamous silver tongue? Quite simply, he wouldn't. He would use that silver tongue to do what came naturally. Lie.

"No, I'm afraid it isn't," he said with remarkable ease. "Both of my parents passed away when I was just an infant. They were Norwegian. My father Laufey left instructions in his will that I was to be raised in England." he continued thankful he had taken the time as a boy to memorize a few countries names. By gauging the girl's reaction he felt it wasn't necessary to think up any more verbal fodder.

"Oh," she answered somewhat awkwardly. The story seemed to be enough to halt any further enquiries. As she sipped her tea Loki quietly observed the girl. Granted, that was not hard considering the close proximity. She could have seen no more than her twentieth name day. Her hair was tousled and dirty but obviously the colour of honeycomb. Her eyes reminded him of the Asgardian Sea, grey and blue with large pupils. She smelled like grass and molasses with hints of saddle-soap and leather. A scent he found strangely intoxicating. What he found most peculiar was the blood trickling freely from her neck that she did not appear to notice. He decided to draw it to her attention. By now she was distracted, petting her bothersome dog. "Emmajane, it seems you have done damage to your neck," he said. Before he could register what he was doing, his gloved hand met her cool skin and wicked away the small crimson trail. He shocked himself with this act of instinctive compassion and mentally scolded the lack of self restraint he displayed. He felt her quiver under his touch, like a doe and waited for her response anxiously.

"Thank you, it appears I have," she said. He noticed her blush. She then rifled in her back pocket before swiftly taking out the glove he had lost. "I think I may have something of yours," "Agh yes," he said and began to take the remaining glove off to pair it with its match. Just as he did so, he heard her gasp. Looking up at her, the confusion in his eyes was evident. "Your hands! They're cut!" In truth Loki had not noticed the cuts of his hand's, however they must have looked very serious to Emmajane as she immediately made her way to a cupboard at the far side of the little room and pulled out bandages along with an array of salves he did not recognise . "Really, I promise you it is nothing" he said reassuringly. This did not deter the groom at all. "Oh please! Save the heroic speech, I can tell when an injury is bad, be it a horse's or a human's. Give me your hand." She chastised him. Dumbstruck and slightly annoyed he placed his large, bleeding hand in her small one with an exasperated sigh. He was taken aback by the fire in her words as he originally thought her a much meeker character.

He watched intently as she shoved a disgruntled Cu off the couch and once again sat down with legs crossed beside him, although this time she was far closer. Without a second thought she placed his hand in her lap and began to wipe away the blood. Loki was fascinated by the precise movements of her fingers as she removed the tiniest of thorns from his palms. When all the blood and debris was wiped away she took a pot that he did not recognise and began to spread the bright green contents all over his hands. The god raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at this. "It's just a salve to help stop the bleeding and aid healing" she answered the silent question. After using about half of the rather large pot she began to bandage both hands with a practised, acquired skill. As she was doing this, the madness of the situation hit the god. Here he was sitting on a couch, in Midgard letting a girl tend to his injuries without complaint. Yet as she bowed her head in concentration and her now totally loose hair brushed past his chest and arms he could not deny that he felt a small amount of affection for the woman.

He looked over her head and met Cu's gaze. It was as if the dog could read his mind and sense his feelings for Emmajane, the little creature seemed jealous. He couldn't help a small laugh escaping his lips when the mutt began growling at the attention he was receiving. "Okay, all done!" Emmajane said interrupting the staring match. "Thank you, I am truly sorry to have imposed on your day, I'll be on my way" he said out of politeness. "Don't be ridiculous! I have to return to work until four o'clock but when I come home those bandages will need changing... and considering I found you unconscious in the forest you need rest!" She continued "I'll take Cu with me. Please try and sleep, there is a blanket in the trunk beside the fireplace" before Loki had time to answer she was gone. Though he would never admit to it, he was glad to stay, as he had, at least up until now not thought about where he was to reside until he had a plan in place.


	4. Beautiful Nightmares

Emmajane

As she walked away from the cottage and down the wooded path to the yard, Emmajane was in a state of disbelief. She wondered if Loki was to be trusted alone. It was lunacy that she brought him back to her house and treated him like an old friend but what other choice did she have? She certainly wasn't about to ask him to leave. It was the middle of winter and the light mist earlier in the morning had turned into torrential rain. She couldn't tell anyone he was there either because they would scold her for her lack of suspicion. Admittedly she thought he was charming and found herself falling for him but her priority was to heal him. If he had done that much damage to his hands, God only knows what other injuries he hid under his peculiar clothes.

When she arrived at the yard she tried to push any thoughts of the man to the back of her mind. Cu was acting queerly, not leaving her side and almost permanently growling. She paid little attention to this though and set about catching up on the work she had missed that morning. First she mucked out all the stables and put in fresh sawdust. Then she had to help rolling barley, meaning she ended up covered from head to boot in a fine layer of dust. Lastly, and perhaps Emma's favourite part of the day she had to ride out three horses. First was Thor, a big, burly pure white stallion. Typical of stallions he possessed a huge amount of bravado and pranced around the arena like a king. Next in line was Pamela. She was an old mare, obedient and kind who was particularly fond of Emma. They worked together nicely and jumped a few fences. Finally, one of her favourite horses, Mischief. Mischief was a black, French gelding. Emma rode him almost as fluidly as she rode Chance. His owner had barely any interest in him, only keeping him as a status symbol. This meant that she had the pleasure of riding him almost every day. They jumped everything they could until both horse and rider were positively wrecked.

Just as she had promised, the groom returned home at four o'clock. Walking in the door she didn't know what to expect. She scooped Cu into her arms afraid of what he might do otherwise and turned the handle. When she entered the kitchen a flood of relief washed over her. Loki was asleep on the couch, all his features seemingly softer. She took notice of how he was positioned, flat with his arms crossed over his chest exactly as she slept. A smile played on her lips as she observed his slow and steady breathing. He had lit the fire and was the picture of contentment. She decided against disturbing him and instead made her way to the bathroom. She drew a bath and cursed the fact that the cottage didn't have a shower. Sinking into the water she closed her eyes and embraced the warmth. She submerged her face in the water and washed the dust out of her hair. Once she had scrubbed her entire body she was still reluctant to leave the steamy room and found herself reclining into the side of the tub, just enjoying the silence.

Loki

When Loki woke up he forgot himself. Looking around, it took him a moment to register where he was, though when he did he was thankful. After a truly horrible dream about Thanos, the sanctuary of the warm kitchen was almost on par with Asgard. He soon found the need to relieve himself. Standing up he flexed his stiff and sore shoulders. He walked down the hall looking for the bathroom. It seemed Emmajane had not finished work yet but the dog had returned and bared his teeth at Loki. An odd, knowing aura seemed to surround Emmajane's canine guardian. He continued walking down the hall until he came to a blue door. He opened it and stepped inside. Once inside his attention was immediately drawn to the bath, in which the girl reclined, completely naked. Once she noticed him she covered herself as quickly as she could but it was too late, Loki had already witnessed her nudity. "Mother of Valhalla, I did not mean to intrude!" he exclaimed before promptly leaving again. Through the door he continued "My profuse apologies, I thought you were still out," acting somewhat more composed. A moment later the woman stepped out of the steamy room, wrapped in a towel and soaking wet. "It's fine. It was an honest mistake" she said trying to console him. Still needing to use the lavatory, he entered the room once more. Her aroma hit his nostrils. Immediately the sweet, natural scent danced around his nose though it was mixed with a faux floral mixture that he assumed was the Midgardian version of the scented oils they used in Asgardian baths.

When he arrived in the kitchen once more Emmajane had dressed and was placing a bowl of food on the floor for Cu. She wore a pink silk night-dress with lace edges and a matching dressing gown with bare feet. He thought this was much more becoming of her than the jodhpurs and jumper she had been wearing previously. When she noticed his arrival she turned to him and acted as if nothing had happened. "I need to change your bandages," she stated simply. Loki sat on the couch; she sat beside him and once more began the arduous process. After she had finished she smiled and said she could see an improvement already. If only she knew she was trying to lie to the God of Lies he thought.

Emmajane

Emma felt terrible for Loki. Not only had he looked very embarrassed when he stumbled upon her in the bathroom but the cuts on his hands seemed excruciating. The thought then struck her that she hadn't eaten all day. She presumed Loki hadn't either. "Are you hungry?" she enquired. "Yes, quite." He said earnestly. She padded to the kitchen and was thankful that there was leftover stew from the previous night. After warming the pot on the stove she sat two bowls on the table and laid the pot and a loaf of bread in the centre. It was one of those rare moments she actually sat down to a meal but she pretended it was second nature. He devoured his first bowl of stew quickly though even with bandaged hands his table manners were impeccable and he did not spill a drop. She waited patiently as he continued to down another two bowls. When both of them could not eat another bite they resigned to the coach. There they sat for the rest of the night watching the fire cackle. It was implied Loki was staying and Emmajane was relieved he did not protest. She did not question him any further about his life. There would be plenty of time for that tomorrow as she had a day off. Before she knew it she had fallen asleep with her head resting on Loki's shoulder much to Cu's disgust.


	5. Saints and Sinners

**Yet another A/N: Happy 2013 guys (another four hours to wait in this part of the world!) if anyone is wondering Cú is pronounced "coo" and Dubhar-Cú is "du-var-coo" **

Loki

Loki smiled at Emmajane's resting form curled up next to him. He was now seriously falling for her. Very carefully, he wrapped an arm around her and was pleased when she unconsciously responded by burying her head deeper into his neck, making her slightly damp hair cascade down his shoulders. This unconscious show of affection towards him made Cú even more protective, moving from the bend in her legs to between the mismatched couple. Loki sneered at the dog possessively. Twirling a strand of her blonde hair around his long finger, he reflected on how he had spent the last few months.

Since fighting Thor on the Bifrost Loki had fallen into some sort of limbo. His oaf of a brother thought him dead, along with the rest of Asgard. It had taken Loki weeks before he found a way to restore a connection with one of the nine realms via the Tesseract. From his study he knew it would be foolish to enter Midgard directly through the cube until he had an army to support him. Instead he used his sorcery to contact a place of power in the realm and negotiated with its deities to allow him access. That place of power was Hibernia (or Ireland as the Midgardians called it). It had been a pool of magical wealth since the dawn of time, housing the Banshee, elves, fairies, ghosts and Saints alike. The magic wasn't exclusive to the land either with the Dobhar-cú running rampant in the water and silkies luring sailors to their graves. Luckily when the Vikings invaded they brought tales of Asgard and its Gods with them. The Fíanna were Ireland's greatest warriors and their spirits protected the island against evil. When Loki approached them they were reluctant to allow him access but his silver tongue eventually persuaded them otherwise. A treaty was made between the country and the god, stating that he could enter provided when he gathered an army he would exclude Ireland from the pillaging and he would not be granted protection whilst he resided in the emerald isle.

Loki found the agreement more than satisfactory, thinking he wouldn't need protection against the local evil entities. He could not have been more wrong. Less than an hour after entering Hibernia he was under threat. At dawn, whilst rambling through one of the mossy forests looking for shelter he encountered a basilisk. The mortal's folklore told of Saint Patrick banishing all snakes from Ireland. This, as he soon found out was only a half truth. It was correct to say that the demi-god or "saint" had exterminated all grass snakes from the land but in their place he left seven non-venomous Basilisks to represent the seven devils and to protect Hibernia against foreign magic. Beirt the second basilisk happened to come across Loki in Connaught. Sensing his sorcery, the snake grabbed Loki by the ankle and attacked him before leaving. He was there for no more than a few hours before Cú had found him. Originally, when the dog had come close to him Loki thought it was the basilisk returning. It wasn't until Emmajane had tried to wake him that he felt it safe to open his eyes.

Now, just a few hours later he was relaxing on a couch with a full stomach, in front of a blazing fire with bandaged hands and a girl nestled into his side. He relished in the intimacy. It had been so long since he had held another human being in his arms and he had never experienced anything like this with a woman before. Women in Asgard either ignored him totally or only sought his wealth and power. He was certainly harbouring feelings for Emmajane. His train of thought was broken by the movement of the girl. Without warning she twisted and turned in his arms and it wasn't long before she began to sob in her sleep. Her tears rolled down Loki's neck and he pitied her. It was clear a nightmare was playing out in her mind. He comforted her as best he could. "Hush darling...ssshhh...easy love" he cooed. The only other time he had made those sounds was when he was trying to quieten his nervous horse when Thor dragged him to Jotunheim. Certain he was not going to wake Emma; he lifted her onto his lap and cradled her shaking frame close to him. He was astounded how quickly she settled, eventually returning to a more peaceful sleep. It wasn't long after that Loki closed his own eyes and drifted off.

Emmajane

Emma awoke at dawn the next morning. When she remembered her nightmare she felt tense. Why did she keep reliving that scenario over and over? Then she noticed where she was. She wasn't sure how she ended up lying across Loki's lap with her head snuggled into his chest but it was the first time since she left home that she felt completely safe and nurtured so she wasn't moving until it was absolutely necessary. It was at that moment she was sure she loved him.

Loki had been awake for a few minutes beforehand. When he noticed Emma stir the first thing he thought of was her nightmare. "Did you sleep alright?" he asked, making no attempt to move her off him. "No... I had a terrible nightmare," she whimpered. "Do you wish to tell me about it?" he asked concerned. "I suppose... I was running through a forest trying to get away from a man, only he wasn't a man, he was a snake as big as a tree and he grabbed my ankle, and then I was on my back looking up at the sky and everything went black... and it's the same dream I've had every night for a week," she gushed, with every word becoming more frightened and frantic before bursting into tears.

Loki

Loki could not believe what he was hearing. Emmajane had dreamt a prophetic nightmare for the past week. More importantly the nightmare was about his coming and a basilisk, something a mere mortal could not have imagined. This was no coincidence he thought. Something besides chance had drawn her to him. He comforted her once more, a thousand thoughts running through his head.


	6. A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

When Emmajane rose off his lap a few moments later, he watched her walk down the hallway to her bedroom and waited until he heard a door close. The supposedly powerless mortal had seen his arrival to Midgard a full six days before it actually happened. Loki paced the floor in thought, pinching the bridge of his nose with a deeply furrowed brow. Cú growled throatily and snapped at Loki's leg. Before god or dog could take it any further however, Emmajane returned.

Loki could not believe what he saw. In place of the jodhpurs and the filthy jumper she wore yesterday, a black leather skater dress and moss green cardigan clung to her frame. In contrast to the scraggly wet locks she sported last night, gleaming tresses fell down her back. The colour of her hair reminded Loki of his gold helm, which was most probably still where he left it in Asgard. On her previously bare feet she wore black suede ankle boots with gold heels that clicked when she walked. Finally, a single gold bangle adorned her left wrist. He loved seeing his colours on the girl, even if they were unintentional. "My, what a lovely transformation" he stated rather boldly. "Thanks, I have a day off and thought I might run a few errands this afternoon... Would you like to join me?" she enquired. Once again Loki noticed his charm had made her cheeks turn pink. "No, I must admit, if you would allow me to remain here, I should like to catch up on my rest," he said feigning a yawn. "No problem," Emma said making her way to the pantry. "Is an omelette okay for breakfast?" she asked him, taking ingredients out and laying them on the counter. In truth, he had no idea what an omelette was but when he saw eggs and milk on the counter he assumed it was alright. "Yes, fine," he said absentmindedly, occupied by staring down Cú.

Emmajane

Emma set about making one large omelette. She thought the protein might help speed up his recovery. When it was cooked she put roughly three quarters onto Loki's plate and the remainder onto her own. He ate in silence. She knew it was crazy but Emma found herself unable to take her eyes off of him. She marvelled at the smallest movements of his lips and felt his pain whenever he would wince. After he had finished she washed the dishes and got ready to leave. "Okay, well I'm off! Make yourself at home, I'll change your bandages when I come back, oh and I'm sorry but Cú has to stay here as well" she said looking guilty. Making her way out the door she blew him a kiss "I'll be back soon!" she called, walking away from the cottage.

Loki

The usually unflappable God of Mischief felt his heart skip a beat when the girl blew him a kiss. He found himself elated, knowing that the feelings he had for Emmajane were mutual. He was then made aware of Cú. Loki was certain that the dog possessed more than met the eye. He stooped down to the canine's level and despite feeling ridiculous began to question it. "What are you?" he began. The dog stared blankly at him. "Do not mock me. What kind of sorcery do you hide underneath that fluffy coat?" he spat holding the dog's chin in his bandaged hand. The mongrel growled before contorting into a huge wolfhound. Loki smirked "I see... now I think it would most advisable to tell me your motives for being here, lest you want me to give you a muzzle" he said evenly. "I am Cú Chulainn, sworn guard of Hibernia and its people. You pose threat to one of our maidens with your Asgardian evil." The hound half spoke, half barked. "Insolent little mutt! How do perceive me a threat to the one I hold most dear? To the one I love?" he snapped. "A Jotun cannot love!" Cú Chulainn replied. "Leave my presence before I show you how much a Jotun can hate!" Loki roared striking the hound across the snout with his less injured hand. The dog returned to its original form and stalked off glaring back at him before going out the cat-flap and towards the stables.

Glad that ordeal was over, Loki decided to explore the small cottages bookshelf. It seemed to him that Emma's affinity was most definitely earth so he was not shocked to find a number of books about animals and plants though he was surprised to find a number of books on mythology. One in particular caught his eye "Norse Gods and Other Notable Things". He plucked it from the bookshelf and sitting on the couch began to read. The book was laughably wrong. It told of Thor being Odin's Brother and nothing at all about Sif. What he found most amusing though was how it listed the eight children he had supposedly fathered and mothered. He spent well over an hour reading the drabble before Emmajane returned.

**A/N: Cú Chulainn pronounced: (Coo-cuh-lin) Fianna: ( fee-a-na). Hi! Sorry it was such a short chapter tonight but I had real life horsey business to attend to. If anyone is curious about Cú Chulainn I suggest googling him because he has his own pretty interesting back story. Lots of Love –A.o.A**


End file.
